Kelly confident No. 5 Irish won’t overlook BYU

“If that locker room is a mess, there’s going to be a long practice today _ and they know that. If the game room looks like a pigsty, it’s going to be a long practice today,” he said. “My point is this: I think they are all trap games, every single one of them, if you take a breather. But if you just stay on the course, continue to do what you’re doing, we’ll be fine.”

Kelly said anyone watching him on the sidelines can tell he has more confidence that his team knows what he expects from them. He has a much calmer demeanor this season compared to the occasional tirade he showed last season.

“This just didn’t happen, you know,” he said. “This is demanding, that mental and physical toughness. The pride and tradition of Notre Dame football will not be left to the weak, the timid or the non-committed. That’s in our locker room. That was put up the first day I got here.”